The Internet is a general purpose, public, global computer network which allows computers hooked into the Internet to communicate and exchange digital data with other computers also on the Internet. Once a computer is coupled to the Internet, a wide variety of options become available. Some of the myriad functions possible over the Internet include sending and receiving electronic mail (e-mail) messages, logging into and participating in live discussions, playing games in real-time, browsing different web sites, as well as downloading and/or uploading files.
Due to the ease, speed, and relatively low cost to exchange files over the Internet, what had traditionally been real articles of manufacture sold at brick and mortar stores are now being sold and delivered as digital content over the Internet. For example, rather than going to the music store at the local mall to purchase a physical CD of a newly released album, the customer can now browse a web site offering a wide collection of music for sale. The customer may click on one or more albums of his or her choice and pay for the purchases by entering a credit card number, all from the convenience of his or her own home. The order and credit card number is secured and sent over the Internet to that particular web site. The order is processed and the files containing the selected albums are compressed and downloaded to the customer's computer, again over the Internet. The compressed music files (e.g., MP3) can be stored in local memory and played back through a music application running on the computer. Alternatively, the customer may burn the file onto a blank CD; the CD may be played back through any traditional CD player.
This type of E-commerce has a wide range of applications. Works of authorship, such as books, calendars, greeting cards, magazines, newspapers, clip art, photographs, etc., can be sold and downloaded off the Internet. Instead of having to drive to a bookseller to buy the latest best seller, a customer may now purchase and download the text directly over the Internet for perusal on his or her computer or some type of hand held display device. With the Internet, software can be bought, sold, and distributed with ease. There would no longer be any problems associated with having to stock shrink wrap software packages at stores. And as broadband services become widely deployed, video files can be downloaded via the Internet. Dedicated video servers can deliver movies on demand to paying viewer audiences. This eliminates the need to drive down to the video store, hope that a copy of the movie is still available at that store, rewinding the VCR tape, and then returning the tape back to the store before a late surcharge is incurred. The potential market and sales associated with E-commerce transactions is huge.
Unfortunately, there are several problems and disadvantages associated with E-commerce transactions. Namely, businesses are accustomed to selling physical tangible goods off-the-shelf at brick and mortar stores. However, E-commerce transactions deal with intangible intellectual property. What are actually being downloaded are strings of binary bits of 0's and 1's. The true value behind the binary strings is its intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trademark, trade secret, or patent). The customer pays for a right-to-use, right-to-copy, right-to-distribute, end-user, etc. license or agreement. Currently, Internet content delivery mechanisms are focused on the reliability, service, and other technical aspects related to E-commerce. The business logic or scheme relating to the value, importance, and meaning of the digital content as an intangible property or asset has largely been ignored.
Thus, there exists a need for a system which provides business meaning to Internet content delivery, especially with respect to the treatment of valuable intellectual property assets of software. It would be preferable if such a system were to be widely adopted, easily disseminated, and easily maintained and modifiable. The need is for sufficient business logic to transport and provide post-transfer treatment of the digital content as an intangible property or asset. The present invention of a virtual packing list meets these above needs.